On December 25th, a widely circulated video featured a young woman advocating for global solidarity to prevent what she termed as the genocide of the Baloch people by the Pakistani government. At that time, she had led thousands of Baloch protesters to Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, to demand justice for the missing Baloch individuals. After a three-day march covering a distance of 1,600 kilometers from Balochistan to Islamabad, they reached the capital, only to be met at the city entrance with batons, tear gas, and water cannons by the Pakistani police. Undeterred, the protesters pressed on, reaching the city center and staging a sit-in in front of the media.
The Baloch discontent with the Pakistani government dates back less than a year than the country’s existence. In 1948, Baloch protests against the Pakistani government began, and shortly after, the issue of Balochistan’s independence was raised and pursued. During this period, several military and civilian organizations in this Pakistani province became active, all expressing dissent towards the central and local government policies, with some advocating for separation. The situation remains the same to this day. Currently, two armed groups operate in Balochistan, both advocating for independence: the “Baloch Liberation Army” and the “Baloch Liberation Front”. However, the Baloch people have also initiated numerous civil protests, not aiming for an independent state but seeking justice for the missing or killed Baloch individuals. The Baloch Students Organization, engaging in peaceful protests, shares similar objectives.
Zahid Baloch, the head of the Baloch Students Organization, raised objections in 2014 when Baloch individuals, including students, went missing. He disappeared, and there has been no news or trace of him since. After him, Kareema Baloch assumed leadership and continued the protests. She later left the country and immigrated to Canada, where she continued to voice her objections to the situation of the Baloch people in Pakistan. Finally, her body was discovered in December 2020 in Toronto, Canada. Baloch protesters also accuse the Pakistani government of her murder, allegedly carried out through its agents. Baloch activists hold the Pakistani government responsible for the forced disappearances of Baloch individuals.
In 2013, a similar march from Balochistan to Islamabad was organized by the Baloch people in protest against the forced disappearances and killings of Baloch individuals. Led by a 72-year-old man named “Mama Qadeer,” this march, like many others, was fueled by the abduction and subsequent murder of one or more of his family members. Mama Qadeer’s young son was abducted in 2013, and his tortured body, bearing signs of torture such as cigarette burns all over, especially on his back, was discovered. However, he had been killed by three gunshots – two to the chest and one to the forehead. Mama Qadeer brought his son’s body to the streets and voiced his protest. Thousands, including those who had lost family members in similar incidents, joined him, and ultimately, the protesters reached Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
This time, the Baloch protests have been ongoing for over two months. On November 23 a 24-year-old Baloch student named “Balach Baloch” was shot dead in the city of Turbat in eastern Balochistan. Balach’s family, including his father, brought his body to the road and protested. The public joined this protest, and the local court issued a suspension order for four officers of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). However, local authorities thwarted the implementation of this order. On November 25, people launched extensive protests and strikes, shutting down the city. One of the immediate demands of this protest was the execution of the suspension order for those four officers, but this demand went unheeded. Two days later, on November 27, 2023, another Baloch youth named Shoaib was killed, intensifying the people’s anger, which continues to date.
A Different Protest:
Baloch people, who have allegedly endured tens of thousands of disappearances and killings since 2003, have undertaken numerous peaceful protests over the years. However, the current protest stands out for its most significant differentiator – its leadership by a young woman. This protest is led by a young woman named Mahrang Baloch. The majority of the population in Balochistan is Baloch, followed by a significant Pashtun community. Pashtuns also consider themselves a discriminated ethnic group in Pakistan and object to the policies of the Pakistani government. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, led by Manzoor Pashteen, has emerged for this reason. However, when comparing the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement with the recent actions of the Baloch, a notable gender difference becomes apparent. While members of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement have expressed solidarity with Dr. Mahrang Baloch and her companions during the protests, the movement itself is entirely male-oriented. In contrast, the current Baloch movement is led by a woman, with a significant portion of its participants being women and children. When observing videos and images of this protest, it becomes evident that more than half of the protesters are women, marking a striking difference from other civil movements in Pakistan and among the Baloch people.
A second difference in this protest from past Baloch protests is its extensive nature. Initiated on November 23, 2023, this protest has persisted until now. Although Mahrang Baloch’s sit-in protest in Islamabad, like Mama Qadeer’s protest, concluded without tangible achievements, she was warmly welcomed upon her return to Balochistan. Tens of thousands joined in her procession. The local government declared a state of emergency upon Mahrang’s return to Quetta, but the protests have continued unabated.
The third difference in this protest, compared to similar cases, lies in its multifaceted approach. This time, in addition to street protests, alternative options have been employed for greater impact. In a video released by Mahrang Baloch on December 25, she called on people worldwide to recognize what they perceive as the genocide of the Baloch people. She urged the media to provide coverage, social media users to voice their objections online, and people to sign and share an online petition they launched, aiming to collect 50,000 signatures, of which they have already completed more than half.
Who Mahrang Baloch is?
Mahrang Baloch is a 30-year-old woman and a doctor, a member of families affected by enforced disappearances and killings. When Dr. Mahrang and her companions arrived at the gates of Islamabad on December 20, 2023, the Pakistani police detained hundreds of protesters, including Mahrang Baloch. After a few hours, they were released, and Mahrang, in a statement, said, “We carry the bodies of many of our loved ones. We have seen intergenerational oppression much worse than this.” This Baloch protester had participated in previous peaceful protests and had even been to prison before. In her childhood in 2006, she protested the abduction of her father and was detained by the Pakistani police. At that time, she was only 13 years old.
In 2006, Ghafar Baloch, Mahrang Baloch’s father, was detained by the Pakistani police. When the Baloch, whether students or non-students are detained, the police do not inform their families of their whereabouts. Baloch people claim that the plight of the Baloch is politically motivated and aims to suppress a national ethnic group. They argue that the detained individuals have no access to defense lawyers, and even trials are not held for them. One of the longstanding demands of the peaceful Baloch protests in Pakistan is a fair trial for Baloch detainees. Ghafar Baloch, Mahrang Baloch’s father detained in 2006, did not notify his family during his detention. Her family protested against this detention and 13-year-old Mahrang was also detained. Ghafar Baloch is eventually released only to be detained again three years later, according to Baloch protesters. Mahrang’s family becomes a target once again. In 2018, Nasir, Mahrang Baloch’s brother, was detained and later released.
Now Mahrang Baloch believes that merely being Baloch is sufficient for someone to be imprisoned and even killed without a fair trial. The movement she now leads, on the verge of general elections in Pakistan, poses a serious challenge to the interim government of this country. Since this protest is peaceful, it has not been suppressed by force. Nevertheless, the Pakistani government seems to be trying to extricate itself from this predicament to focus on other matters, including conducting disruptive elections, managing the economy, conflicts with neighbors, and hostilities with India. To potentially facilitate the suppression of this movement, Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar, the interim Prime Minister of Pakistan, has spoken about India’s support for the Baloch insurgency. Although these statements do not directly target the protests under Mahrang Baloch’s leadership, they indirectly serve as a warning that if they continue their protests, they will be suppressed under the pretext of ties with India. This is a serious possibility, as governments that do not heed the demands of their citizens often resort to such tactics.
In the realm of statecraft, the strategy of leveling accusations of connections with a foreign country, security services, or an adversary is an age-old yet widely employed tactic. This tactic holds particular favor among governments in our region. In Afghanistan, the Taliban routinely detain and suppress civilians on the battlefield, accusing them of association with Abdul Ghani Ali Pour, who had previously fought against the group. A similar scenario unfolds in the northern provinces of Afghanistan, where the Taliban, displeased with individuals, label them as members of armed anti-Taliban fronts, ultimately subjecting them to persecution.
Iran, too, consistently employs this accusation strategy whenever the populace voices grievances against inflation, corruption, election fraud, or the tragic death of Mahsa Amini. The claim that foreign hands are behind these protests is repeatedly wielded as a means to discredit the demonstrators, akin to a dismissive slap across the face of dissenting voices.
Conversely, in the province of Balochistan, the local government has imposed a state of emergency, prohibiting gatherings of more than four individuals. In a climate where protests by Baloch activists persist, such restrictions provide a conducive environment for repression. Now armed with documentation ostensibly proving that protesters have engaged in unlawful demonstrations during a state of emergency, the government may move to quell dissenting voices.
